3D Healthcare: Your heart attack is good for our religion

Who dreamed up targeting heart attack victims as a way of enculting newcomers into the BKWSU? The BKs are hosting the 7th World Congress on Clinical and Preventive Cardiology and Imaging (WCCPCI - 2012) at Brahma Kumaris Shantivan, Abu Road, Sirohi, Rajasthan, India from September 14-16, 2012.

See also: 3D Healthcare, a spin off project of the Brahma Kumaris and "J. Watumull Global Hospital" ... the latter itself a Brahma Kumaris spin off which was intended, according one Janki Foundation chairman BK Ray Bhatt was, essentially, a vehicle to allow the BKs to accept corporate sponsorship and donations to build a hospital in Mount Abu to look after its elderly adherents.

I need to have a closer look at this but it may the first time the BKs have actually published a scientific paper. However, I feel they step rather dangerously into making medical claims for their meditation and lifestyle, including getting up at 4 am for Amrit Vela ... and "opening the coronary blockages by RajYoga meditation ... [by] focusing the inner, radiant spiritual energy on various organs of the body".

That is new, not Raja Yoga as we know it ... and certainly non-scientific.

Brahma Kumari's RajYoga meditation is a science and art of harmonizingspiritual energy (energy of soul), mental energy (energy of mind) and physicalenergy (energy of physical body), through the connection with ultimate source of spiritual energy i.e. Supreme Soul for enjoying ever healthy, ever-wealthy and ever-happy life

The co-ordinator is Dr. Satish Kr. Gupta, a genuine senior consultant but, one presumes, also a BK given his "scientific paper" which compares "soil consciousness" (as in body = humus = soil) to "soul consciousness". Sadly, the good doctor also uses personally references published in the so called "American Biographical Institute" and the "International Biographical Centre" ... which are both vanity biography publishers whose awards, according to the Wikipedia, "have frequently denounced as scams by politicians, journalists, and others". Basically, they are like a cheapo 'Who's Who' which you pay to get into, the more you pay the bigger the section ... which in this case the doctor is using to claim to be one of the "Outstanding Scientists of the 21st Century" (2003). A reference he probably wrote himself.

Of course, rest, a good diet, light exercise and positive thinking are going to improve one's health. I am not convinced therefore this is "proof" BK Raja Yoga works. If it were going to be real science, they would have to have run some double or triple blind tests along side it (e.g. would Vipassana or prayer have the same effect?), therefore I have to question the ethics of using people's heart attack to suck them into the religion. I see also the BKs are careful to limit the kind of heart diseases they are willing to try their service programme out on.

Please file as straight-down-the-line "BK business/service as usual" until we find a real medical practitioner willing to comment on it ...

i. ) Stress-management through RajYoga meditation:

Stress is defined as mental state in which the internal and external pressures exceed the inner strength (coping mechanism) leading to sympathetic over activity and release of stress hormones which in turn leads to vicious cycle of mental dis-ease and physical dis-ease. Inner strength can be increased by RajYoga.

RajYoga word has been derived from Raja meaning king and Yoga meaning union between Soul (spiritual energy) and Supreme Soul (ocean of spiritual energy). RajYoga meditation harmonizes spiritual, mental and physical energy, thereby increasing inner strength to lead a stress-free and healthy life. It enhances individual’s power of determination to manage and practice positive thoughts, emotions, attitudes, memories and adhere to healthy diet, exercise, sleep, medication and cessation of smoking. Expert RajYoga teachers from Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya Mount Abu, taught RajYoga meditation in three different stages.

During Stage-I (Inner self empowerment), patients were provided knowledge about Soul and Supreme Soul and trained to forge a link with the Supreme Soul to draw spiritual energy. This was followed by sessions of training in opening and healing the mind and opening the coronary blockages.

In Stage- II of opening and healing the mind, patients were made to understand the role of non-physical factors like depression, anger, cynicism, hostility, ego, jealousy, hurry, worry, anxiety, fear, isolation, lack of social and emotional support, job and family stress etc, in the development of CAD; as these negative traits are acquired from the environment and are not part of the original inner self. They were trained to inculcate the positive mental energy thereby enhancing willpower to adhere to healthy and happy lifestyle program.

In stage-III of opening the coronary blockages by RajYoga meditation, they were asked to focus the inner, radiant spiritual energy on various organs of the body including the stenosed arteries for regression of the disease. A meditation commentary was provided to guide the mind in a positive direction. They were encouraged to maintain an inner self (soul) conscious mental state even while engaged in day-to-day work activities.

ii.) Low fat, high fiber vegetarian diet: The essential components of diet program were: what? (low fat, high fiber vegetarian), when? (as per biological clock) and how? (proper chewing in inner self conscious state). Diet consisted of low fat mostly PUF A and MUF A providing 15% of the calories, cholesterol intake restricted to less than 50mg/ day; soluble fiber about 50gms/ day, from 15gm psyllium husk/day, oat bran, fruits, vegetables, sprouted seeds, beans, salads etc; complex carbohydrates providing about 65% of the calories; proteins 1gm/kg body weight from soyabean and other vegetarian sources; antioxidants from sprouted seeds, fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts.23 Beneficial effects of the prescribed diet were explained both to the patients as well as their spouses by audio-visual means and practical demonstration sessions by the experts. The spouses were given the recipes of the diet used and also taught the cooking methods. Smaller and more frequent meals were provided. Diet was served in silence with light music played to enhance the quality of environmental ambience. Diet charts were also provided to each patient.

iii.) Moderate aerobic exercise: Patients were individually prescribed brisk walk for 30-45 min in the morning after the sun rise and 30 min of stroll during the evening before sun set according to their baseline exercise tolerance. They were trained to reach a target heart rate of 60-70% of their maximum predicted heart rate(MPHR) based on the level of physical conditioning.22 Initially all patients were made to walk to achieve 50% of MPHR and then gradually build up over a period of one month or so to 60% and then to 70% of MPHR, according to their health status. In this study, (61%)patients had a history of documented myocardial infarction and many patients had undergone baseline coronary angiography without a baseline stress test. Exercise tolerance was measured by requiring them to walk at a stretch to achieve 60-70% MPHR or >110 steps/minute before developing symptoms, e.g. angina or dyspnea(observed and measured walk at baseline). The exercise routine included warming- up period of 5 min, walking for 20-35 min, and cooling down period of 5 min. They were advised to walk in silence(inner self conscious state) and avoid walk after the meals or during extreme cold or hot climatic conditions.

The BKWSU roll out their usual PR spin claiming ... your comments welcome.

Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Iswariya Vishwa Vidyalaya (or Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, BKWSU, as it is known in foreign countries) is an international spiritual organisation. It has been working at all levels of society for a positive change for the last 70 years. The organisation offers a wide range of educational programs through its more than 8000 centers in more than 100 countries.

The Brahma Kumaris institution acknowledges the intrinsic goodness of all people. A worldwide family of individuals from all walks of life, they are committed to spiritual growth and personal transformation, believing them essential in creating a peaceful and just world. Acknowledging the challenges of rapid global change, we nurture the well-being of the entire human family by promoting spiritual understanding, leadership with integrity and elevated actions towards a better world. The University works alongside individuals and organisations in all areas of the community, such as healthcare, education, youth, social services, the criminal justice system and in inter-religious dialogue.

A visionary leader, the founder, Brahma Baba, envisioned a time when people of all backgrounds would come together to rediscover and develop the spiritual dimension of their lives. One of his most revolutionary inspirations was to place women in the major leadership roles of the University.

A practical method of meditation is taught that helps individuals understand their inner strengths and values. Raja Yoga Meditation is a method of relaxing, refreshing and clearing the mind and heart. It helps you look inside to rediscover and reconnect with your original, spiritual essence.

The BKWSU has general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and consultative status with UNICEF.